


Dancing Is Just A Dream

by QueenReyna25



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Background Relationships, Ballroom Dancing, Dreams, F/F, Minor Zack Fair/Cloud Strife, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:08:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26549500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenReyna25/pseuds/QueenReyna25
Summary: Tifa POV Roommates AU. Tifa is very gay.This fic was a gift for the wonderful skyegroves aka one of my bestest friends i love her so much I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37





	Dancing Is Just A Dream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skyegroves](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyegroves/gifts).



It was a wonderfully sunny day, as Tifa discovered when the curtains in her room were pulled apart by an overly enthusiastic Aerith. Tifa loved her energy, her adoration for nature and sunlight and rain, but sometimes Tifa just wanted to sleep a little bit longer.

“Good morning, Tifa! Time to get up and face the day!” Aerith said with a smile. Tifa weakly smiled back as she wiped sleep from her eyes, stretched, and let out a yawn. Aerith yawned in response and giggled.

“Come on, sleepyhead, you’ve got class starting soon!” Aerith stated, then left the room. Each new day was filled with a contagious joy with Aerith around the house. Her radiant optimism was tempered somewhat by Cloud, one of her other roommates, renowned for being grumpy most of the time.

“Right, Zack and I are gonna head to work. Have fun at college.” Cloud said.

Tifa got showered and dressed, then quickly ate a bowl of cereal. She was doing a fitness based major so she would be doing exercise, and the last time she went to class without eating she did not have a good time. As she headed for the door, Aerith handed her an apple.

“Did you know an apple gives you enough energy to ride a bike for roughly six minutes?” She asked. Tifa shook her head.

“Well, now you do. Have fun!” She said, as Tifa left.

The walk to campus wasn’t particularly long. Tifa decided to do a light jog since she was feeling energetic today. Must have been the apple, she thought. The weather was still nice and sunny, and the sky was cloudless and clear. Hopefully it stayed that way.

Tifa arrived at college and began classes for the day. She was doing some stretching before running laps, then did some theory work later. By the end of the day, her brain was turning to mush, and her legs were sore. She began to think about what to do when she got home. A good upper body workout and a protein rich dinner before curling up on the couch watching TV sounded golden right now. Better than studying nutrition all night for her test coming up.

As she was thinking about her lovely night, she received a text from her boss, reminding her she had work tonight. She slammed her head into her desk with a thud. She responded saying she’d remembered and put her phone back in her pocket. It was going to be a long night.

As she was packing up her things, her phone buzzed. She rolled her eyes, expecting another text from her boss, but was instead met with a message from Aerith.

hey, heading out, there’s stuff in the fridge if you wanna cook or some noodles if you are in a rush. See you later :D

Tifa smiled at her phone. She was so distracted by her phone that she almost didn’t notice the motorbike approaching her. She stopped before crossing the road as it slowed to a stop.

“Hey Tifa. Looking pretty distracted there.” Cloud said.

“I was looking at my phone.” She said.

“And grinning like an idiot.” Zack chimed in from behind Cloud.

“Sounds to me like you got a cute text from a pretty boy.” Cloud said.

“You know I don’t swing that way.” Tifa retorted.

“Oh, right, my apologies. Was it a pretty girl?” Cloud joked. Tifa felt her cheeks burn up and looked away.

“Oh, I was joking, but this is juicy. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. Zack, on the other hand…” Zack punched his arm.

“Don’t worry Tifa, we won’t tell anyone about your girlfriend.” Zack said.

“She’s not my girlfriend!” Tifa said.

“Crush, girlfriend, whatever. We won’t say a word of it to anyone. Right, Cloud?” Cloud nodded. Tifa rubbed her temples and thanked them as they pulled away. It was frustrating dealing with those two, but she couldn’t imagine life without them.

She began pondering the exchange as she walked home. Cloud and Zack couldn’t give her a lift cause there was already two people on the bike, but she would have turned them down anyway. She liked the walk home (even if her legs were still sore), especially now that she had time to think. She didn’t really think she had a crush on Aerith. She chalked it up to playful banter between friends making her blush, and smiling because her good friend and roommate cared about her. Nothing more. She hurried home, pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind.

As she stepped in the door, she immediately headed towards her room. She took her shoes off and collapsed into bed, dropping her bag on the floor. As she laid there, staring at the ceiling, she let out a deep sigh, followed by a groan that turned into some form of shout or scream. Cloud came into the room.

“Why are you yelling?” Cloud asked.

“Work.” Tifa replied. Cloud nodded in solidarity.

“It’s rough, but just think of the money! That’s how I get through work sometimes. Do you want me to make something for dinner whilst you get ready?” He asked. Tifa shrugged.

“If you’re making stuff anyway, I’ll have some, but if you don’t fancy cooking I can just have some noodles or something.” She said.

“Alright then, I’m gonna cook. Get ready, I can drop you off after we eat.” He said, leaving the room. Tifa wondered why he was being so nice. Maybe Aerith was rubbing off on him.

She hadn’t heard from Aerith since receiving that text. She wondered what she was up to. She’d never mentioned she was heading out tonight. She decided to text her during her downtime at work and see what she was doing.

After getting changed into work clothes, she headed to the kitchen where she found Zack and Cloud bickering over how to cook. She leaned against the door frame and smiled. It was no secret that Cloud and Zack were dating. They had been for some time, but no one really knew because they weren’t big on public displays like kissing or holding hands in public. But they definitely loved each other, and anyone who knew them behind closed doors knew that they acted like an old married couple.

“Can I come in or am I interrupting something?” Tifa said with a grin.

“No, not at all. Have a seat, dinner’s nearly ready.” Cloud said. He served the food onto three plates set out for them. It was a simple stir fry, and Tifa wondered what Zack and Cloud could possibly argue over with something this simple.

“Cloud almost cut his fingers off. He doesn’t understand basic kitchen safety.” Zack said.

“The knife was nowhere near my fingers, you’re just paranoid.” Tifa sat there eating as Cloud and Zack continued to bicker. She thanked them and sat her plate at the sink, returning to her room to burn time till she had to leave.

Tifa wasn’t looking forward to work. She worked in a little bar called Seventh Heaven. It wasn’t exactly a luxurious or high quality establishment, but it paid well enough and it wasn’t particularly busy most of the time. But tonight, Tifa just had no desire to go whatsoever. As she was wondering how to get out of working, Cloud walked in.

“You ready to go?” He asked. Tifa sighed and nodded.

Cloud handed her a helmet and said goodbye to Zack. They hopped on his motorcycle, Fenrir, and headed to the bar.

The roads were relatively quiet as they drove. Tifa had many things on her mind, like college work, and she tried to distract herself by listening to the rumble of the bike beneath her. It was oddly soothing, and eased the sense of anxiety she was holding in her chest.

Upon arriving, she removed her helmet and took a deep breath. She waved goodbye to Cloud as he drove away, and walked inside.

The bar interior was somewhat simple. It had a pinball machine in the corner, with some tables and booths scattered around. There were a few older gentlemen nursing glasses of whiskey or rum, the types that liked to be alone and enjoy a nice drink with the atmosphere of people around them minus the actual social interaction. There were one or two groups of people having a laugh and enjoying a drink together.

Tifa began serving people as they approached the bar but she didn’t really have much to do overall. There weren’t many people, and for once Tifa wanted the place to be busy. Her wish was granted shortly after, as another group flooded in.

The group appeared to be vastly different from the people usually in the bar. These people were young, around Tifa’s age, and there was around six or seven of them. Tifa knew how much one student could drink and was thankful that she would be busy tonight. As she waited at the bar in anticipation of one coming up to collect the round, she spotted a familiar face in the group. A long braid of brown hair with a pink ribbon that Tifa would recognise anywhere.

A woman approached the bar and Tifa snapped back to reality, realising that she was staring. The woman ordered a round of drinks, a rather wide variety, and Tifa got to work on getting them ready. She asked her colleague to take the drinks over to the table, as a few other people from the table came up to order food. After giving them the food, Tifa took a deep breath and checked her phone.

She remembered that she’d planned to text Aerith during her downtime, but she didn’t need to do that anymore. She knew exactly where she was and what she was doing. She checked the text log and saw that she had said “see you later”. Had Aerith known Tifa was working tonight and come here to see her? Tifa’s mind began racing and she began to wonder if Aerith really was just a friend to her.

“Tifa!” Tifa looked up from her phone and saw Aerith heading to the bar. She stumbled a little bit on the way, and Tifa realised she was drunk.

“Oh, hey, Aerith. How long have you been drinking?” She asked.

“Oh, like a few hours maybe, but I’m still sober. Mostly.” Aerith replied. Tifa smiled.

“Right. Mostly.” Tifa said. Aerith grinned.

“Sober enough to stand up!” Aerith said. Tifa giggled, and Aerith blushed.

“I think you should head back to your table. Your friends are waving at you. I’ll get the full story of what you’ve been up to all day from you tomorrow.” Tifa said. Aerith smiled and headed back to her table, waving at Tifa as she walked away.

As the night progressed, a few people from the group Aerith was in began leaving. Seven quickly whittled down to five, then three, then just Aerith left. Her friends asked her if she wanted to split the cost of a taxi but she declined, and chose to stay behind. Tifa decided to ask her why she hadn’t left when she noticed something incredibly strange.

“I don’t know, Petey, I just don’t know.” Tifa approached and saw Aerith talking to no one.

“Aerith? Who are you talking to?” Tifa asked nervously. Maybe she’d had a bit too much to drink...

“Oh! Tifa, you scared me.” Aerith said.

“Right, sorry. But back to my question. Who is Petey?” Tifa asked. Aerith pointed at the small potted plant on the table. The tables didn’t have potted plants, but there were some dotted around the room to provide a bit of colour and life to the room. Aerith had clearly taken it upon herself to relocate the plant.

“Aerith, are you okay? Sober people don’t talk to plants. I think it’s time for you to head home.” Tifa said. Her boss had told her to check up on Aerith since they were roommates, and told her to leave early and make sure she got home safe. Tifa had called a friend for a favour, since Cloud couldn’t take both of them home and she didn’t want to phone a taxi.

“I’m in the middle of an important conversation about…things.” Aerith said. Tifa stifled a laugh.

“Oh really? What things, exactly?” Tifa asked.

“That’s classified.” Aerith retorted.

“Okay, you’ve definitely had too much to drink. Come on, let’s go.” Tifa put the plant back and helped Aerith stand up. She walked with her, and Aerith latched onto Tifa’s arm to steady herself. Tifa felt a blush creeping in as they headed outside, where a beat up looking truck was waiting. Tifa helped Aerith into the front seat, then sat in the back. The man behind the wheel was a burly giant of a man, with short hair and dark skin. Aerith was incredibly drunk, but she recognised him regardless.

“Professor, is that you? Why are you picking us up?” Aerith asked.

“I essentially adopted Tifa when she was around fifteen. She’s family to me. When she messaged me saying her roommate was drunk and they needed a lift, I told her it was no hassle at all.” He said.

Barret Wallace was the environmental science teacher at the college, and although Aerith was doing plant biology, the subjects were close enough that Aerith had met and interacted with him several times. She began to feel slightly horrified that a teacher she respected was seeing her this drunk.

The drive home was not quiet. Tifa and Barret used this time to catch up and talk about college, as well as asking after Marlene, Barret’s daughter. Aerith didn’t say a word. As they arrived at the apartment, Tifa invited Barret in for a cup of tea but he declined. She thanked him for the lift, and they headed up the stairs.

“Tifa, I don’t feel so good…” Aerith said. Tifa recognised that as a bad sign, and hurried her to the bathroom. As soon as she was within range of the toilet, she vomited. Her hair was already in a braid, so Tifa didn’t have to hold any out of her face, but she gently rubbed her back to comfort her, and went to fetch a glass of water.

As she entered the kitchen, she heard footsteps and peeked down the hallway to look and saw Cloud rubbing his eyes.

“What’s with all the noise, it’s three in the goddamn morning.” Cloud said. Tifa noticed he was wearing moogle slippers and matching pyjamas, so she wasn’t particularly intimidated by his tone.

“Aerith was out drinking, she came to the bar, got really drunk, spoke to a potted plant for a little while, got home, she vomited, I’m looking after her.” Tifa said.

“Right. Well just keep it down, I’m trying to sleep.” Cloud said, as he turned and headed back to his room without another word.

Tifa returned to the kitchen and poured a glass of water, grabbing a slice of bread with nothing on it before heading back to Aerith in the bathroom. Her head was still hunched over the toilet bowl, and when she turned to look at Tifa her face was pale. Tifa handed her the glass of water and she took a small sip, then handed her the bread.

“Eat it. It helps, trust me.” Aerith looked at her, then took the bread and began to eat it, bit by bit.

“I think I’m gonna go to bed soon. Vomiting is exhausting and I’ve been out all day. You should get some sleep too.” Aerith said.

“Yeah. I’m not doing anything tomorrow though, so I don’t mind staying up a little bit longer to make sure you’re alright.” Tifa said. Aerith gave her a warm smile.

“You’re a good friend.” Aerith said. They sat there on the floor of the bathroom in their little apartment for another half hour before they agreed that Aerith was probably done vomiting. They said good night, and headed to their rooms.

Tifa stared at the ceiling, the darkness around her and the void of silence making her mind run wild. She closed her eyes, and let sleep take her. She began to dream, a blur of chaotic images.

She saw Aerith in a beautiful scarlet red dress. Her braid was undone, and her hair cascaded down her shoulder like a chestnut coloured waterfall. She was standing alone in the corner of a room, a ballroom of some sort. A variety of men approached her asking to dance, but she turned them all down. Tifa might not be into men, but she had eyes, and these men were all very handsome. But Aerith continued to turn them down, one by one.

Tifa approached Aerith to ask her why she was turning down all these men, and as she headed over, Aerith spotted her. She had a look of pure joy on her face as she waddled over, struggling to move in the stunning dress she was wearing.

“Tifa, just the person I’m looking for. You look amazing!” Aerith exclaimed. Tifa looked down. She was wearing a wonderful blue-purple dress, but had no memory of buying it.

“You’re looking pretty good yourself. Why are you looking for me?” Tifa asked. She wasn’t aware she was dreaming, which was causing some confusion, but she didn’t question anything for too long.

“To dance, silly! I just turned down a bunch of guys and told them my first dance was already reserved for someone else. And that someone is you. Come on, let’s go.” She took Tifa by the hand and let her to the floor.

Tifa was very dextrous and quick on her feet. She knew martial arts and figured dancing a waltz would be no challenge at all. She was wrong. Tifa knew how to dance a waltz, but with one hand around Aerith’s waist and the other in her hand, their bodies pressed together, Tifa was feeling a little hot under the collar. She managed to do the barebones of the dance, but even the Aerith in her dreams knew something was wrong.

“You’re really stiff. Relax. Take a deep breath. And just go with the flow.” Aerith said. Tifa obeyed, and loosened up. They began waltzing around the ballroom, and Tifa became absorbed in it, smiling and giggling along with Aerith.

They moved gracefully, the background sinking away leaving them alone together as they stepped and twirled around the room. They were laughing and grinning and having the time of their lives.

After the dance they stood there in the center of the ballroom, their foreheads touching, panting and out of breath. Tifa wanted to close the tiny distance between them more than anything, but she was too afraid.

“How long are you going to lie to yourself, Tifa? This isn’t real. We’re just friends. Wake up. Wake up. Tifa, wake up.” Aerith said. Tifa was confused, until the illusion of the dream melted away and she opened her eyes.

Aerith was looming over her, telling her to wake up. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up in bed.

“Aerith? Why are you in here, I thought you’d be in bed with a hangover?” Tifa asked groggily.

“Oh, I definitely have a headache, but the pain woke me up and I was really hungry so I’m making pancakes and figured I’d ask if you want one.” Aerith said.

“Oh. Uh, sure. I’ll be through in a minute.” Tifa said. Aerith left the room, leaving Tifa alone on her bed.

Recollections of the dream she had the night before came to her. She didn’t remember very much, but she did remember Aerith in a beautiful scarlet dress. She remembered a dance, and she remembered a feeling of longing that turned into fear. That fear gripped her soul, and more of the dream came back to her.

Fear of rejection. Fear of doing irreparable damage to what she had. Tifa could no longer deny the truth – she had a crush on Aerith, and she had no idea how to move forward. This revelation was quickly thrust to the back of her mind as she got dressed and headed to the kitchen to get pancakes.

Aerith had just finished making them by the time Tifa arrived, and she began to dig in. They were warm and fluffy, perfectly made. Aerith clearly had experience with cooking.

They chatted for a while about their plans for the day. Tifa was planning to go to the gym, and Aerith had some research papers to work on. She began to talk about plants at length, and Tifa smiled. She had no idea what she was talking about, but Aerith was always at her happiest when she was talking about plants or nature. She could light up a room just by being in it, but she was positively radiant when she smiled.

Tifa snapped out of her trance as Aerith finished explaining something. She thanked her for the food and headed back to her room. She put on her gym clothes, slipped on her shoes, and headed out.

The gym was relatively close by, so Tifa liked to jog there for a bit of extra cardio and a nice warm up. On her way, she glanced at a little café nearby and spotted Cloud and Zack. She decided to head over and see what they were up to.

“Hey, guys. Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” Tifa asked as she approached.

“We were. But then we were talking about our plans for later since it’s our anniversary, Cid overheard and immediately told us to, and I quote, ‘get the fuck out of here and spend some time with each other’, so we did. And here we are. This is where we had our first date, so we decided to come here for a while then head back home. I assume you’re heading to the gym?” Cloud replied. Tifa nodded.

“I’ll leave you guys to it. Have fun!” She said, and left the café. She wanted to talk to Cloud about her Aerith problem but it would have to wait. She didn’t want to bother him on his anniversary. She kept going and went into the gym, where she focused purely on her workouts. As she left, she decided to shower and do some homework when she got home.

Upon getting home, Tifa headed to the shower. She peeled off her sweat drenched clothes and hopped in, letting the cold water wash over her. A cold shower after a run and a workout was one of her favourite things, and with everything on her mind it was a nice way to distract herself .

She stepped out, wrapped the towel around herself and headed to her room. She closed and locked her door, put on some fresh clothes and began drying her hair. She thought about Aerith’s hair in her dream, the long loose hair spilling over her shoulder. She held her head in her hands. She was falling, and she was falling hard. She grabbed her phone and debated for a minute before texting Cloud.

Hey, I know youre busy but if you get a minute can you come through to my room, got something I wanna talk about

She put her phone down and finished drying her hair. After reaching into her bag to grab some books to do her homework, there was a knock on the door.

“Tifa, open up. It’s Cloud.” He said. Tifa went over and unlocked the door, letting him in and locking it behind him.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be free so soon.” Tifa said.

“Well, Zack and I figured it was probably important. You wouldn’t bother me on my anniversary otherwise. So what’s up?” Cloud asked.

“It’s Aerith. Remember when you saw me smiling at my phone and called the girl who sent me the text my girlfriend? Well, it was a text from Aerith. And last night I had a dream about her where we were dancing together. Cloud, I think I have a crush on her and I don’t know what to do.” Tifa confessed. Cloud nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, you’re in deep. My only advice is tell her. If you’re worried about the friendship then don’t be. I was worried about asking Zack for the same reason and that worked out. But even if it hadn’t I knew we were good enough friends that confessing a crush wouldn’t ruin our friendship. I was confident either outcome would be alright in the end, and I was right. Worst case, things are awkward for a while.” Cloud said.

“It’s not that easy.” Tifa said. Cloud sat next to her on the bed.

“No. It never is. But you can either wait weeks or months for it to disappear on its own, suffering in silence the whole time, or just tell her. Take a risk, Tifa. I know it’s scary but you gotta roll the dice every once in a while.” Cloud said. Tifa rested her head on his shoulder, and he put his arm around her, rubbing her arm.

“Thanks Cloud, I appreciate it. I’ll tell her soon.” They sat there in silence for a little while before Cloud stood up, wished her luck, and left.

Tifa was alone again, and she had no motivation to do homework. She decided to take the day to herself and tell Aerith tomorrow. She didn’t have work tonight, or college tomorrow, so she would have plenty of time to muster up the courage and tell her. She decided to sit in her bed and read a book for a while to pass time until dinner.

Dinner was somewhat awkward. All four of them sat at the table together at Zack’s request, as he wanted to celebrate his anniversary with his nearest and dearest. Tifa was awkward around Aerith, but she didn’t seem to notice anything was amiss. Zack and Cloud recalled some of the funnier moments of their relationship, before Zack gave a heartfelt speech about how important Cloud is to him, and how he much he means to him. They all raised a toast, and clinked glasses. After finishing their food, they stayed chatting and drinking wine for a while, before Aerith returned to her room to work on her research paper.

Tifa followed shortly after, heading to her room to try and make some progress on her work. She was feeling slightly better now, and could actually focus. Putting on some music, she got to work and made decent progress before she decided to go to bed.

She couldn’t sleep. The anxiety of confessing to Aerith was too much for her. She thought of every single way it could go wrong, every way she would be rejected, every way their friendship would be damaged beyond repair. She knew she had to do it, but the fear was consuming her. She eventually drifted off from sheer exhaustion, and did not dream that night.

The next morning she woke up and got dressed. Today was the day she told Aerith her true feelings. She didn’t know what would happen, but she thought back to something Barret told her a few years back.

“You’re not psychic, so stop trying to predict the future. Things might be bad, but they might be good too, so always remember that.”

The words had stuck with her, and she was beginning to feel optimistic about her chances. As she was about to leave her room to find Aerith, Aerith burst into her room with a sense of urgency.

“Tifa, just who I’m looking for! I need your help.” She said.

“With what?” Tifa asked. The confession could wait.

“So, I completely forgot there’s a dance tonight and I don’t have a dress or a plus one, so I was wondering if you wanted to come dress shopping with me and come to the dance with me?” Tifa felt her cheeks turning red and mentally focused. She knew it was just as friends.

“Sure. I actually don’t own any dresses so this will tick that off my to do list.” Tifa said. It could very well be the last day they spend together for a while, given the possible outcomes of her crush confession.

They got some food in the house, then walked to the shopping oriented part of town to look around. There were lots of shops in the city, ranging from whiskey shops to toy shops to clothes shops. After browsing around for a while, they stumbled upon a dress shop.

The interior was cool, which was a pleasant respite from the outside heat. They browsed the shop for a while, and Aerith wasn’t seeing anything that appealed to her. Tifa had a sudden idea, and headed to find a member of staff, telling Aerith she would be right back. She gave a quick description of two dresses to an employee asking if they had anything like it, and they headed to the back to look around. She then returned to find Aerith still looking aimlessly for dresses.

“I can’t find anything I like. Maybe we should try another shop.” Aerith said. Before Tifa could respond, the employee had returned.

“Ah, there you are. Well, I have managed to locate something matching the dresses you asked about. If you’d like to follow me.” The employee led the way to the front counter, where both dresses had been put on a makeshift clothing rack. Tifa instantly recognised them as the dresses from her dream.

“Well? What do you think? I’m totally getting the blue/purple one. Figured the red one might look good on you.” Tifa said. Aerith was speechless, gazing at the dress with awe.

“Tifa, it’s amazing. I’m getting it.” She said.

After sorting out dress sizes and paying, they headed back home to get ready for the dance. Aerith explained that it was a school dance, and a variety of students and teachers would be in attendance. Tifa vaguely remembered an email about it from a few weeks ago, but was clearly too busy at the time to make a note of it.

As they got home, they headed to their rooms, and after frantically running back and forth with hairbrushes and make up, they were both finally ready. Tifa had suggested Aerith wear her hair loose, over her shoulder, and Aerith obliged. They looked spectacular, and they headed out to find Barret waiting for them in his truck. Even he was dressed fancy, with a nice black suit. Simple, but it was a nice look for him.

They drove in near silence until they arrived at the venue, a large open space with plenty of room for dancing and tables set up with drinks. It was nice for the students and teachers to mingle as equals every so often, especially since some students were almost as old as the teachers.

Tifa suddenly felt the nerves hit her. She was planning to tell Aerith some time tonight but she didn’t know if she’d get a chance. Lots of people were here, and Tifa wasn’t great with crowds. As she was lost in thought, she bumped into her friends Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge. She chatted with them for a while before returning to find Aerith in the corner, talking to a plant again.

“Aerith, are you okay? You’re talking to a plant again.” Tifa said.

“I know they can’t talk back, but it helps me think. Anyway, are you having a good time? I saw you talking with your friends.” Aerith said.

“Yeah, I’m having fun. Please tell me you aren’t planning to get drunk again, by the way.” Tifa said.

“I think I’ve quit alcohol for a while. That night was rough. Thanks again for taking care of me.” Aerith said.

“Don’t mention it. You’d have done the same for me.” Tifa said. They continued walking around the room, and Tifa began to sweat nervously. She had no idea how to breach the topic. As she was about to bite the bullet, a voice rang out.

“Hello, everyone. I hope you are all enjoying your evening. This is just a quick announcement to let you all know that we are planning to do a waltz next, so if anyone who would like to partake could come to the dance floor and grab a partner, we will start shortly. Thank you.” The voice said.

“Can you waltz? Actually, it doesn’t matter, we’re going anyway. Come on.” Aerith grabbed Tifa’s hand and led her to the dance floor. Tifa was struck by déjà vu that she couldn’t process as she was dragged away. Panic was starting to set in, and she had to take a deep breath.

As they took their positions, Aerith put her hand around Tifa’s waist, with Tifa putting her hand on Aerith’s shoulder. Tifa wasn’t an expert on waltzing (how she had managed to waltz in a dream was proof of a higher power as far as she was concerned) but she did know that the current positions meant Aerith was going to lead.

“Do you know how to waltz?” Tifa asked.

“My mother taught me years ago.” Aerith replied. As she said it, the music kicked in, and they began to waltz.

Tifa looked around at the other pairs dancing, refusing to make eye contact with Aerith. She felt far too awkward to lock eyes with her, especially when they were this close.

“Loosen up, Tifa. You’re stiff as a board.” Aerith said. Tifa tried to relax and just enjoy the moment, and she began to move gracefully with Aerith leading. She twirled and smiled and giggled, and Aerith giggled in kind. The room around them was no longer there, the people unimportant. Tifa could live in this moment forever and never get tired of it.

The dance ended, and after they recovered from giggling and laughing, they stood there together in the center of the room. Like the dream before, Tifa once again wanted to close that tiny distance between them. But the fear crept in, and she wasn’t sure she could. She leaned forward so very slightly, and Aerith knew exactly what she wanted. Before Tifa could pull back and chicken out, Aerith closed the gap for her, and their lips met for the first time.

Tifa had never really dated people before, or even kissed people for fun. She’d kissed Jessie before, which is what led to her realising she was into women in the first place, but it never had any feeling to it. It was purely physical.

This was different. Her mind went blank. Her legs started shaking, and she let whatever anxious stiffness she had been keeping locked in her muscles melt away into nothing. Her lips were soft, and as she inhaled through her nose she caught the smell of Aerith’s perfume, a smell that would forever remind her of this kiss. Her senses were filled with nothing but her, and Tifa was more than happy to let herself be consumed by it.

As they parted, they remembered they were still standing in the dance floor and without paying any attention to the people staring at them, they ran outside, hand in hand, and phoned a taxi.

“Taxi will be a few minutes. So…” Tifa said.

“Pretty great, huh?” Aerith said.

“It was amazing. I was actually gonna tell you that I had a crush on you earlier but then we went shopping and no time felt right. But I guess I don’t need to anymore.” Tifa said.

“Guess not. I’ve had a crush on you too. We’re both hopeless.” Aerith said, smiling. Tifa smiled back.

“So what do we do from here?” Tifa asked.

“I don’t really know. I’m fine with whatever label you want, or no label at all.” Aerith answered.

“I’m happy with girlfriends, if you are.” Tifa said.

“Sure am. So, girlfriend, what do you wanna do when we get home?” Aerith asked.

“Have some tea and cuddle in bed before falling asleep next to you sounds like a good plan.” Tifa said.

“Let’s do it.” Aerith said.

As the taxi arrived, they hopped in and Tifa directed the driver to their apartment. Aerith fell asleep on her shoulder, and as they arrived Tifa gently woke her up. They got out of the taxi and Tifa offered Aerith a piggyback, which she gladly accepted. They headed up to the apartment and Tifa put Aerith down so she could open the door then headed in and locked it behind her.

They got changed into pyjamas and Aerith offered to make the tea. It was nice and soothing, and after finishing it, they headed to bed. They chose to sleep in Aerith’s room as she had the comfier bed, which Tifa quickly discovered as she lay in it. Aerith cuddled up to her and kissed her, before drifting off to sleep. Tifa followed shortly after.

The next morning, Cloud found them both in bed, together, and he smiled. He was happy for his friends, and he silently closed the door, leaving them alone together. Tifa woke up and was about to get out of bed when Aerith grabbed her.

“Stay in bed a little longer. Please.” Aerith said. Tifa smiled warmly in response, and got comfy in bed once again. Aerith readjusted and snuggled up once more, and Tifa felt her heart melt as she looked down at her, brushing the hair from her eyes. Aerith spent so much time studying the wondrous beauties of nature, but as far as Tifa was concerned, nothing would ever be more wondrous and beautiful than Aerith herself.


End file.
